Advanced Women's Imaging Center
Saint Francis Hospital's Advanced Women's Imaging Center is located at 400 Court Street ("pink building), Suite 201. Our services include:
Full Field Digital Mammography: Displays the entire breast at full resolution and offers a wide range of image enhancing tools to better diagnose images.
Dexa Scans: Used to evaluate osteoporosis using low dose xray.
Breast Ultrasound: Used to help evaluate breast abnormalities.
Breast Biopsies: minimally invasive procedure including:
Mammotome breast ultrasound biopsy--ultrasound is used to guide the doctor tothe breast abnormality.
Mammotome stereotactic core biopsy--2D and 3D xray information is used to guide the doctor to the breast abnormality.

Cardiac Catheterization
Saint Francis Hospital's cardiac catheterization lab performs sophisticated diagnostic procedures such as angiography, fluoroscopy and pressure monitoring, which are used to evaluate the condition of the heart and its blood vessels. Procedures are performed by a trained cardiologist who is assisted by certified technologists.

Cardiopulmonary Services
Saint Francis performs a wide range of specialized cardiac testing, as well as complete pulmonary function analysis. Stress testing may include a cardiac stress test. Pulmonary function tests and screenings assist in diagnosing lung diseases. Several non-invasive techniques are available for examining cardiac condition and function: computerized electrocardiography (EKG), oximetry, and echocardiography.


Diabetes Care Center
The Saint Francis Hospital Diabetes Care Center is an ambulatory specialty outpatient department which recently expanded to include inpatient educational needs. The center exists to provide quality care to patients with diabetes and seeks to proactively promote positive health and well being among individuals. The program promotes empowerment of those individuals to participate in decisions relative to their health care throughout their life span.

Patient access in both outpatient and inpatient cases is made through direct referral from a primary care physician. A physician's order is required for all services. Patient care services are provided by a team which may include diabetes nurse clinicians, diabetic clinic dietitians, floor nurses and social workers. Training and education is provided for patients with Type I and Type II diabetes.

Emergency Department
This comprehensive health care service is available to treat all types of emergency medical needs 24 hours a day, with board certified physicians and a highly trained nursing staff to provide skilled care for people who require immediate medical assistance.

Endoscopy
Endoscopy offers the most technologically advanced videoscopes available to perform colonoscopies and other GI tract studies. This capability presents a comprehensive assessment for the physician and the staff. It also allows the patient to view the procedure in progress.

HealthScope
Unique in the Charleston area, Saint Francis Hospital's HealthScope offers the community a total health resource center with this primary care physician practice. This primary care group is a department within the hospital and operates with the full support of a 155-bed hospital. Friendly physicians who are board certified in internal medicine or family practice can provide for the primary care needs of the entire family.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Saint Francis Hospital has the most sophisticated technology for wound healing and tissue repair in the region. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) enhances healing and reduces hospital stays by delivering oxygen in high concentrations to affected tissues. HBOT promotes wound healing, can reduce scarring and in some cases can eliminate the need for amputation. Therapy is administered by licensed professional respiratory care practitioner under the direction of your primary care physician.


Lithotripsy
The latest advances in the treatment of kidney stones eliminates the need for painful surgery and lengthy hospital stays. Most treatments are done on an outpatient basis allowing the patient to return home the same day.

Medical Imaging
Our full line of radiology services include general diagnostic imaging, such as chest and skeletal x-rays. In addition, we offer:

Arteriograms
A process by which arteries are visualized.

Fluoroscopy
A motion picture x-ray used for upper gastrointestinal tract and colon studies as well as several sophisticated procedures.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
One of the most advanced diagnostic procedures available, this technology allows physicians and technologists to examine almost any part of the body. It often replaces exploratory surgery and other more invasive procedures, saving the patient discomfort and inconvenience.

Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan
A technology that creates three-dimensional cross-sections of the body and extremities.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
PET imaging is a modality which visualizes metabolic activity. PET imaging helps diagnose different types of cancer and guides physicians to the most beneficial therapy. PET has also shown to have a unique utility in diagnosing cardiac diseases and various brain disorders.

Ultrasound
Using high frequency sound waves, ultrasound procedures make it possible to "see" inside the body without the use of radiation.

Vascular Ultrasound
Using ultrasound technology, a physician is able to get a detailed look inside veins and arteries to determine if they are obstructed.

Digital Mammography
The best weapon in fighting breast cancer, digital mammograms are performed at our Advanced Women's Imaging Center by a registered female technologist.

Nuclear Medicine
A sophisticated methodology used to produce images, which aid in diagnosis and treatment of disease at an earlier stage than x-rays.

One-Day Surgery Center
Saint Francis Hospital's One-Day Surgery Center offers a full array of outpatient surgical services which allow the patient to undergo a surgical procedure and return home the same day. Children's tours of the center are available on Monday afternoons.

Palliative Care Service
The goal of palliative (PAL-ee-uh-tiv) care is to help keep patients comfortable when cure is not possible. The word "palliative" means to relieve or reduce pain and discomfort. Palliative care focuses on helping patients feel better. Palliative care helps with physical needs as well as emotional and spiritual needs. Palliative care focuses on improving quality of living and dying while remaining sensitive to the patient's and family's values. The members of the Palliative Care Team include a doctor, a nurse, a pharmacist, a clinical social worker and a chaplain.

Pastoral Care
Saint Francis Hospital provides a Department of Pastoral Care staffed with certified chaplains to be available and accessible to patients and families whose illnesses represent a spiritual crisis. The staff is composed of qualified, interfaith, spiritual caregivers. These chaplains seek to help individuals deepen their faith.

Their goal is to enable individuals to understand the relationship between spiritual and physical well being. The spiritual caregiver is not a substitute for the patient's own faith community. The chaplain offers prayer, encouragement, sacraments and other expressions of worship as appropriate to the patient and family. Chaplains provide for 24-hour crisis coverage and regular operating hours.

Pharmacy/Inpatient
Saint Francis Hospital utilizes the McKesson Robot-Rx, a robotic drug distribution system that uses bar coded, unit dose inpatient medication and automates storage, dispensing and restocking.

Physical Therapy
Saint Francis Hospital's physical therapy department offers inpatient, outpatient and skilled nursing services. The staff of the physical therapy department prides itself on providing one-on-one care with individualized treatment plans. Whether treating strains and sprains, joint replacement, or gait and balance dysfunction, the staff strives to provide the highest quality of care in a fun, relaxed environment.

Skilled Nursing Unit
The Skilled Nursing Unit is a Nine-bed transitional unit designed to provide restorative or rehabilitative care to hospitalized patients who no longer need acute care services, yet require continued care prior to returning to the community. The unit houses an interdisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, therapists, dieticians and others who share the goal of helping each resident regain their independence. Treatment plans set goals for each resident to work toward during his or her stay.

Sleep Center
The Saint Francis Sleep Center offers a modern facility where sleep disorders can be diagnosed and treated. If you and your doctor decide a sleep study is right for you, you simply stay the night in one of our comfortable bedrooms. Your sleep will be monitored, and your breathing patterns and oxygen levels will be evaluated. It's so easy, you'll sleep right through it!

Speech Therapy
Upon physician referral, our certified speech therapists evaluate speech dysfunction and help patients return to an optimum level of communication skills.

Surgical Services
Saint Francis offers exceptional surgical services in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. Our fully equipped surgical department consists of six general operating rooms and one cytoscopy room. All the latest technologies are available, including all types of laser surgeries.

Saint Francis offers several surgical specialties, including:

The Wound Care Clinic
The Wound Care Clinic of West Virginia is an outpatient center specializing in comprehensive wound care management since 1997. The clinic treats patients who suffer from chronic, non-healing wounds. These wounds are defined as wounds that have not begun to heal within four weeks of onset or have shown no significant sign of improvement within eight weeks.  The wounds are usually caused by diabetes, venous stasis, pressure, peripheral arterial disease, collagen vascular diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis) or trauma (such as accident, insect bite, post-surgical). 

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